Declan O’Rourke

Declan O’Rourke is a critically acclaimed singer and songwriting from Dublin, Ireland. Jon Pareles of The New York Times said there was virtuosity in his guitar playing, with ‘intricately contrapuntal picking and meticulous dynamics,’ and that his calling was as a balladeer. Paul Weller said of O’Rourke’s song ‘Galileo’ that it’s possibly the greatest song written in the last thirty years.

Declan O’Rourke: GEAR

Declan plays to sold-out crowds in his native Ireland and regularly tours in Europe, America and Australia. A consummate and versatile performer, his songs mesmerize, whether performed solo, with a band, a string quartet, or full concert orchestra.

In 2013, O’Rourke released his third studio album Mag Pai Zai, which made it into The Irish Times’ “101 Irish Albums to Hear Before You Die.”

Mag Pai Zai was O’Rourke’s first record to be released Stateside. Specially re-packaged and mastered for US audiences, Mag Pai Zai (US-edition) garnered critical acclaim from such national media outlets as the The Wall Street Journal, American Songwriter, NPR’s World Café, USA Today and Mountain Stage.

Last year, O’Rourke decided to try something completely new by releasing a new digital-only track every month absolutely free through his mailing list and social media platforms. He called the project Howlin’ Lowly Moons, and through it he has released some of the best recordings of his career, directly to fans and absolutely free.

O’Rourke releases his fourth studio album Gold Bars in the Sun this October, largely composed of the Howlin’ Lowly Moons songs, gathered together for the first time in a beautifully-packaged CD and vinyl. Also a first, the new album will be exclusively sold through Declan’s website.